Traffic Stop Nets Cocaine Bust

Traffic Stop Nets Cocaine Bust
man in handcuffs uid 1061811

BERLIN — A Virginia man was arrested on drug distribution charges last week after a traffic stop in Worcester County.

Around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 29, members of Worcester County’s Criminal Enforcement Team stopped a Honda Accord for a traffic violation. During the stop, a law enforcement K-9 alerted for the presence of controlled dangerous substances in the vehicle. A subsequent search turned up 129 grams of cocaine along with nearly $1,000 in cash.

The driver, identified as Howard Thomas Reid, 36, of Painter, Va., was arrested and charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. During an interview, Reid told police he was traveling from Baltimore and was passing through Worcester County on his way to Painter, Va. Reid is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Three Arrested On
Sex Assault Charges

SALISBURY — Three Salisbury men were arrested this week after allegedly sexually assaulting a female victim in an unoccupied residence.

Around 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Salisbury Police officers responded to PRMC for a reported sexual assault on a female. The officers met with an adult female victim who told police she had been sexually assaulted by three male suspects at a residence on E. Church Street. The victim told police she and three friends had entered an unoccupied dwelling the previous night and were inside the residence when the three male suspects made entry.

According to police reports, the suspects assaulted the victim’s male friend and then forced the victim to relocate to an empty bedroom, where she was sexually assaulted. The victim’s other two friends were able to escape prior to the assault. Salisbury Police detectives responded and were able to identify the suspects as Carl Anderson, 26, Mychal Edward Seeney, 28, and David Leonardus Braboy, 25, each of Salisbury.

The Maryland State Police Apprehension Team located two of the suspects and took them into custody, while Salisbury Police detectives were able to capture the third. The two victims were treated at PRMC and released. Each of the suspects was charged with first- and second-degree assault, first-degree sexual assault, perverted practice and reckless endangerment.

Prostitution Sting Nets Arrests

SALISBURY — Seven people, including an alleged working girl and six alleged “Johns”, were arrested last during a prostitution sting conducted by Salisbury Police along Route 13.

Last Thursday, Salisbury Police conducted an undercover operation targeting prostitution along the north Route 13 corridor. In one instance, an undercover officer was approached by an alleged prostitute during which an arrangement was made to pay for sexual acts with cash. Arrested and charged with prostitution was Crystal Marie Hornsby, 27, of no fixed address.

During a second phase of the operation conducted by the Salisbury Police and the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, undercover female officers were utilized in the same area frequented by prostitutes. The undercover female officers were approached by three male suspects soliciting sexual acts in exchange for cash.

In all, six suspects were arrested and charged with solicitation including Emerson Prattis, 47, Marion Station; Ri Da Lieu, 32, Salisbury; Rodney Harmon, 61, Lewes; David Lee Foreman, 60, Berlin; Randy Mosley, 53, Salisbury; and David Lawrence Warren, 52, Bishopville.

10 Days For Assault

OCEAN CITY — A Crisfield man arrested on first-degree assault and other charges in July after punching a man outside a resort fast-food restaurant and then attempting to run over the victim with his car pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 days in jail.

Around 10:15 p.m. on July 11, Ocean City police responded to the area of the McDonalds on 32nd Street for a reported assault that had just taken place. The officers arrived and saw a large crowd gathered at the scene. The officers met with a male victim who said he had been standing in front of the restaurant when a suspect, later identified as Andrew Worcester, 21, of Crisfield, ran over and punched him in the face.

The victim said Worcester then got in a small red car and accelerated straight at him as if to run him over. The victim said he had to jump onto the sidewalk to avoid being hit by the car. Several people in the crowd corroborated the victim’s account of the incident and one witness told police the suspect was driving a red Mini Cooper and provided police with its Maryland tag number.

Meanwhile, other officers radioed in they had stopped a Mini Cooper with the same tag number in a parking lot on 21st Street. In the meantime, a couple approached officers back at McDonalds and told them how they had children with them in the parking lot and were afraid for their safety during the incident.

Worcester was identified as the driver of the vehicle and when told why he was being stopped, he denied any involvement in the assault at McDonalds earlier. The victim and a witness who provided the tag number were brought to the scene and positively identified Worcester as the attacker. Another witness came forward and told police he was sitting in traffic when he observed Worcester’s alleged attack on the victim and subsequent attempt to run him over.

That witness told police he followed Worcester after the assault to an area near Jolly Roger Amusement Park before Worcester turned south on Philadelphia Ave. Based on the victim and witness testimony and the positive identification of the suspect and the vehicle, Worcester was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Last week in Circuit Court, Worcester pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 days in jail.

Child Sex Abuse Alleged

POCOMOKE — A Pocomoke man was arrested on assault and child sex abuse charges this week after allegedly admitting having sex with an underage girl.

Last Friday, the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) began investigating a reported sexual assault in Pocomoke. The investigation revealed a suspect, later identified as Daniel Crismond, 47, of Pocomoke, had been having sex with an underage female. When Crismond was confronted with the allegations, he confessed to his sexual involvement with the victim.

Crismond was arrested and charged with a second- and third-degree sex offense, sex abuse of a minor, second-degree assault and child abuse. After an appearance in front of the District Court Commissioner, he is being held on a $25,000 bond.

Axe Handle Attack Nets Jail Time

OCEAN CITY — A Crownsville, Md. man arrested in July for allegedly attacking another man with a hard, plastic axe handle or sledgehammer handle in a downtown parking lot pleaded guilty last week in Circuit Court to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail, all but two months of which were then suspended.

Around 3 a.m. on July 2, an OCPD officer responded to the municipal parking lot on Worcester Street for a reported assault. Upon arrival, the officer observed a man, later identified as Steven Ray Turek, 49, of Crownsville, holding a yellow, hard plastic axe or sledgehammer handle in his hands. Turek was standing near another man who was bleeding from the right side of his face and his lip along with other injuries. Also present was a female.

The officer separated the two men and talked first to the bleeding individual, who told him he had witnessed Turek and the woman in a heated verbal dispute. When the victim approached the couple in an attempt to defuse the argument, Turek allegedly turned his attention on the Good Samaritan, went to his vehicle nearby and got out the large axe handle.

According to the victim, Turek approached him with the axe handle and swung it wildly at him several times, striking him once in the face. After the victim was struck once, he was able to get a hand on the weapon and the two men wrestled to the ground in a fight over the axe handle. While police were talking to the victim, they were approached by an Ocean City municipal bus driver, who corroborated the victim’s account of the events.

During a subsequent interview with the suspect, Turek admitted he was having an argument with his girlfriend, but when the victim interceded, Turek thought he was trying to fight him and retrieved the weapon. Turek said he never hit the victim with the axe handle because the victim got his hand on the weapon and the two men wrestled on the ground for possession of it.

Nonetheless, based on the account provided by the victim, as well as the bus driver, Turek was arrested and charged with first- and second-degree assault and carrying a deadly weapon with intent to injure.

Last week in Circuit Court, Turek pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. All but two months were then suspended and Turek was placed on probation for two years and fined $500.

Pot Dealer Gets A Year

OCEAN CITY — A Washington, D.C. man arrested on drug distribution charges in July after his pants size connected him to evidence was found guilty last week of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to three years in jail, all but one of which was then suspended.

Around 9:30 a.m. on July 2, an OCPD officer on bicycle patrol in the area of Somerset Street observed two men in a parked vehicle while the passenger, later identified as Rommero Smith, 22, of Washington, D.C., counted a large sum of money. According to police reports, Smith was counting what appeared to be hundreds of dollars.

The officer pulled around to get a better vantage point for the suspicious activity, and as he approached the driver’s side door, he detected the strong odor of freshly burned marijuana. The officer called for back-up and got the suspects to exit the vehicle, placing them under arrest for suspicion of possession of marijuana.

The driver was arrested as the officer began a search of the vehicle. The officer found marijuana in several different containers and wrappings throughout the vehicle, according to police reports. For example, on the front passenger seat was a drawstring bag containing nine smaller baggies of marijuana and a large sum of currency.

Smith was then searched and was found to be in possession of three large wads of cash, each one totaling $1,000, for a total of $3,000 held together with a rubber band. Smith denied the drawstring bag containing the marijuana was his, but the officer found a pair of size 44 shorts in the bag, which is Smith’s size. The waist sizes of the other occupants in the vehicle were all 34 or less, according to police reports.

Smith was charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute. Last week in District Court, Smith was found guilty of the latter charge and was sentenced to three years in jail, all but one of which was suspended. He was also placed on probation for two years and fined $500.

Fine For Breaking Window

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man arrested on malicious destruction of property and other charges in August after busting out the window of a downtown pizza parlor pleaded guilty last week in District Court to disorderly conduct and was fined $300.

Around 7:25 p.m. on Aug. 18, OCPD responded to the area of Baltimore Ave. downtown for a reported disorderly subject. The officers met with a witness who told police she had just seen a person break the window of Soprano’s restaurant. The witness pointed out the suspect, who was still in the area, wearing black shorts and black T-shirt and was jumping up and down, according to police reports. The witness also told police the same suspect had kicked a trashcan into a blue Corvette parked across the street from Soprano’s.

OCPD then took the suspect, later identified as Shawn Dale Rudasill, 19, of Ocean City, into custody while officers conducted their investigation. According to police reports, Rudasill was yelling “[expletive deleted] Ocean City,” and “the Ocean City Police [expletive deleted].” Rudasill was then arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property.

When asked if he understood his Miranda rights, Rudasill allegedly told police, “yes, I understand my rights. I want to talk to my manager.” When asked if he was responsible for breaking the restaurant window, he allegedly told police, “I punched the window. I will take all consequences.” The consequences included being charged with malicious destruction of property and disorderly conduct. Last week in District Court, Rudasill pleaded guilty to the latter charge and was fined $300.